Dealing with ADHD in the workplace

Support is usually offered for kids with ADHD in school, but what happens once they start working?

Until the mid-1990s, it was believed that children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADHD) would grow out of it once adulthood was reached. However, research shows that over 75 per cent of adults continue experiencing significant symptoms.

People diagnosed with ADHD can show either the inattentive or hyperactive type, or a combination of both. “The main challenges for people with ADHD are organisation, time management, and forgetfulness,” said Kirsty Lauder, an organisational psychologist.

Although the hyperactivity symptoms decrease in some adults, the inattentive traits persist and they can have a strong impact in their private and working lives. The discovery highlighted the demand for support needed for people with ADHD, who would usually drop out of all the services after turning 18.

“It can be quite difficult for them if they need to do admin tasks, sit down and not be distracted by everyone else,” explained Lauder, who looks at how to support people with ADHD in the workplace.

Indeed, turning up on time, answering emails, participating in meetings and being consistent are all tasks and skills most likely to be required from someone working in an office. However, they can be extremely challenging for people with ADHD who don’t have the right support.

“At some point, I stopped getting invited to meetings, I just didn't function well in that environment, remembering what had been said or concentrating for long enough,” said Abi Silvester, explaining the difficulties of managing her ADHD in her previous job before going freelance.

Silvester added: “I got to a point where I didn't want to speak [at meetings] because I knew I would be wrong or it'd be at the wrong time.”